Mario Kart 8 balanced "thousands of times" during development, two Rainbow Roads added

Mario Kart 8 producer Hideki Konno has said the latest entry in the series will reward players for their mad karting skills, not luck.

Speaking in a roundtable interview attended by Gamespot, Konno said the gameplay and items have been balanced "thousands of times, maybe even tens of thousands of times" before the felt things were satisfactory.

"We do hear, and a lot of people out there say it, that Mario Kart is all about luck," he said. "That if you're at the front then you'll get hit with a blue shell, so it's all about luck. That feature is not random - it doesn't just happen.

"There is a lot of adjustment and there is a lot of thought and effort put into that system, and developing it in a way that actually promotes game balance. I would hope people understand that as well."

The game's director Kosuke Yabuki added during the interview that two Rainbow Road courses will be added: one based on the final level in Mario Kart N64 and an all-new course.

Earlier today, new information and screenshots were released for the title, which lands on May 30.

Thanks, CVG.